Method of and apparatus for drying lumber



. March 18, 1930. CUTLER 1,750,794

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR DRYING LUMBER Filed Jan. 14, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Z m 11 so Man -ch 18, 1930. c, A, CUTLER 1,750,794

METHOD OF AND .APPARATUS FOR DRYING LUMBER Filed Jan. 14, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 'ln ventor Wig cum Patented Mar. 18, 1930 CLIFFORD'A; curimn, or BUFFALO, NEW Yon METHOD OF. AND APPARATUS FOR DRYIN G LUMBER Application filed January 14, 1 92 5. Serial No. 2,274.

" Myinv'ention relates to kilns for" drying lumber, and particularly to a kiln for drying lumber which is piled on edge.

The principal object of my invention has been to provide a method and means of drying lumber which shall perform the operation in a very efficient and uniform manner. My invention relates not only to a new and useful method of drying lumber, but also to the construction of a kiln for carrying on my method.

The above objects and advantages have been accomplished by the device shown in the accompanying drawings, which is a pre- 1 ferred form of apparatus for carrying out my method.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a front sectional elevation of one of my kilns.

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of a series of kilns, built adjacent each other, showing portions of the kilns broken away.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, sectional side ele- V vaton of one of my kilns, takenonline 3-3 I of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a front sectional elevation of a modified form of kiln.

As indicated above, I have shown in Fig. 2, a series of kiln chambers 5 arranged ad- 3 jacent each other and under one roof. Each of the kiln chambers is provided with a bottom floor 6 and with an interspaced false floor 7. Supporting walls 8, 9, 10, and 11 are provided, which serve not only to sup- I port the false floor 7, butserve also to provide a suction duct 12 and discharge ducts 13 and 14. The walls 8 and 11 are interspaced from the sides 15 and 16, respectively, of the kiln thus providing compartments 17 and 18, re-

spectively. The upper side of the compartments17 and 18 are exposed to the interior of the kiln chamber 5, and a series of openings 19 is provided in each of the walls 8 and 11, which openings connect the discharge ducts 13 and 14 with the compartments 17 and 18, respectively, and in which a pluralityof louvers 35 may be arranged. 20 represents the pile of lumber, each piece being set on edge and the whole pile being carried by a truck21 which is supported by'tracks 22,

mounted upon the false floor. Thepile 20is of such a size that spaces will be provided entirely around the pile for the circulation of'air. The pieces of lumber are-preferably, separated vertically soas to provide vertical circulation of the air. r i

Each of the kiln chambers is provided with suitable means for sucking'the 'air fromthe suction duct 12, and forcingit into-the-'discharge ducts 13 and-'14.'*- This'jpmeansmaygpo comprise a blower -2522Q-Ild -26 arranged in front of the discharge ducts" 13 and 14, re- V rspectively, -and each having its-discharge'end -27 connected with 'a discharge duct.-- The suction sideS QS-of the blowers are preferably connected together in one Y shap'edfitting 29, which is connected with the suction duct 12'. Formed in the false floor 7 and ,;ar-, ranged centrally above-the suction duct 12, isa suction opening'30, whereby the mois--" ture-laden air coming from the lumber will be drawn into the suctio'nductand thence to the blowers; This opening '30 is preferably tapered,- hav'ing its widerpart-at-the rear endof' the duct,'where the suctionis'lesS, i

wherebythere will be a uniform distribution of suction throughoutjthelengthof the drying-chamber. I It is obvious thata blower unit will be provided for each of the kiln chambers 5 but for clearne'ss offlill'ustration, I380 haveshown but one of these chambers.

" Arranged 'inthe compartments :17 andlS is a series'of heaters 31 bywhich the air as it 'eomes from the openings 19 will be heated in its passage upwardly into the kiln cl1amber.:=:s5

Inthe form of device shown in Fig. 4, heaters 32 are arranged"withinthekiln chamber and preferably along each ofthe side walls thereof. Carried at -each side of the pile of lumber is a deflection wall33,' which extend up into the chamber a considerable di'stancsoas to directthe incoming air from compartments 17 andi l8 up along theside walls of the chamber and "over the heaters 32. So'as to prevent the air I 1 if necessary the -'suction of the air currents- 1 be. more eyenl'y I the pile of lumber.

distributed throughout .jIn carrying out the methodby the apparatus herein shown and described, it will be 7 obvious that'as the air is forced by the blowe'rs25 and 26 into the discharge duct-s 13 'and14, it willpass through the openings 19 V in the walls 8 and 11 and-thence'into and throughthe compartments, 17 and 18. The

the side walls'of the kiln,where it is deflected I downwardlythro'u'gh the 'vertical', passage- 7 ways formed in thepile of lumber. I Suction I I I I I I is also produced in theduct 12 by the'blowers, "through the SllClJlOIlfdllCt, passlng 1t through 39' andthegair after itlhaswbeen circulated through the lumber is drawn. into, this duct I tlirough theopening30, and again recircu- "clated through the drying chamber. H OW-r iffever, not allof the I air will be recirculated, since, during the drying proc'ess,the moisture is changed'to vapor which causes 'some'moisture laden air topass out of the kiln through thechimneys thereof. 7 I V I v- The operation oftheform shown inFig. a j, is. identical with that justabove described,

except that-the airis heated inits passage up- I Wardly along the side walls ofthe kiln 01mm, -bejr instead of inthe compartments 17 and by 1-8 -Airfrom the; drying chamber isdrawn out-'through'--the opening 30, but greater dis fc'laii-ns, and Ifdo:not,therefo're,'wish'to be I I i jc {tribution of air. currents through the pile .gof lumber is' brought about-by the provision of the 'baflie plate 34.1

provided over the suction duct witha graduated opening, the chamber bein also formed with a compartment, at one *si e of each of the discharge ducts, the walls separating the discharge ducts and the compartments being formed with a plurality of openings, de-x flector walls carriedv by the false floor and arranged one at each sideofithe lumbercarrying trucks, a'bafliepla'te arranged over the graduated opening communicating with the suction duct, tracks vextending lengthwise of the chamber and adapted to'receive lumber carrying trucks, air reheating means, and means for withdrawing air from the kiln the discharge ducts and into theflcompart-r merits, and then, discharging it Qupwardly into the kiln means. y

signediny name; I I CLIFFORD A. CUTLER},

-,--Ob vi'ouslysome other modifications the by v I II 1' details herein-shown and-described maybe [:made without; departing from, the spirit of myinvention, or the scope of the appended limited t'othe exact embodiment-herein shown the preferred formthereof-h ff' Havi-ng'thusdescribed myinyentiomwhat;

1: claim is 2- .1

I 1; A j lumber lengthwise thereofand adapted to receive oneside of each of the dischargelducts, the r wallbetwe'en eachqdischarge duct andadja- 1-5 -gcent compartment being formed with open- 2;.A, lumber. drying: kiln; comprising a T in interspaced relation: with the bottom floor, walls connecting the floors and forming a suction duct and a discharge duct on each v side-of the suction duct, thei false =floor being I I drying kiln 'comprisin 11ai I 7. it chamber having-a trackway, exten ingiw lumber"carrying'trucks, "a suction .iduct lo- I; ,cated below the rails, a discharge ductat each v o side ofthe s'uctionj duct, acompartment 'atand through the reheating flesh iioo w ll e 

